Part 1: 1-10 Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2000. 38 pages. Ages 4-7. Genre: Picture story book. Language: English The book Olivia is about a little pig that lives with her father, mother, her brother, dog and cat. The book is about the Olivia’s busy schedule, it shows us what Olivia likes to do. She likes to go to the beach play dress up, go to the museum, and even paint. Throughout the book Olivia get what she wants, and shows that she is very active. The story ends with the mother reading books to Olivia, and also showing that they both love each other very much. The authors name is Ian Falconer, he is a painter and illustrator, Olivia is his first childrens book, whom received a Caldecott honor award. I liked this book because it is a funny book for children to read. This book shows how energetic children can be which, is a reason a child might relate to the book. I read this book with my niece and she seemed to enjoy the pictures, she would stop and look at the pictures and compare them to what she normally did. The character is very engaging, because it is funny to see a pig do the same things a human would do. The book is free from stereotyping; I believe that it opens a new way of thinking about pigs. I do recommend this book to all teachers that have preschool through second grade. The book will catch the children’s attention, because it is focused on one energetic pig. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008 Taback, Simmins. There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. New York: Penguin Group, 1997. 32 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English The book There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, is exactly what the title states. The old lady swallows a fly, a spider, a bird, a cat, a dog, a cow, and a horse. Through out the story the old lady swallows a fly then swallows the spider to catch the fly, swallows the bird to catch the spider, swallows the cat to catch the bird, swallows the dog to catch the cat, swallows the cow to catch the dog, and finally swallows a horse to catch the cow. At the end of the story the old lady dies, and the moral of the story is to not swallow a horse. The authors name is Simms, Taback, who is known for his picture books, He taught illustration and design at the School for Visual Arts and Syracuse University Simms received a Caldecott honor award for this book. I enjoyed this book because it opened my imagination to a great extent. I found this story very engaging because the illustrations in the book were very bright in color and being able to see the animals in the ladies stomach made it fun to flip to the next page of the story. The story is written with a rhyming sound to it, which makes it interesting to read aloud to children. I recommend it to all teacher in the grades preschool to 3rd . This story would be fun to have children join in the chorus of the story. This is a good book for bilingual educators because it is has great form of repetition for children whom are learning a second language. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008 Kimmel, Eric A. The runaway Tortilla. New York: Winslow Press, 2000. 29pages. Ages 6-10. Genre: Traditional literature. Language: English This story follows a similar storyline as the gingerbread man. The story is about a tortilla that does not want to be eaten. Throughout the story the tortilla runs away from Tio Jose and Tia Lupe. As they chase the tortilla, others characters which are animals, join in the chase. At the end the smart tortilla gets convinced by Senor Coyote to enter his mouth, only for him to eat the tortilla. Eric A Kimmel wanted to write books ever since he was a young child. His book runaway tortilla has not won any awards but he has other books that have won awards such as the Caldecott award and Hershel award. I recommend this book to other teachers; it is a great book to read in class. Teachers can have the class join in and sing along to tortillas famous saying “Run as fast as fast can be”. It is a great fairy tale that can be used among children whom can relate to this story better than the original gingerbread man story. With this book you can have the children act it out as a play and have the children dress up. The book is easy to read and the storyline is easy to follow. The illustrations are great and ones that children can relate to. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008 Winter, Jonah. Frida. New York: Scholastic inc, 2002. 29 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Non-fiction. Language: Spanish This book is a biography of Frida Kahlo. The biography starts with Fridas birth, and continues until she is the Frida Kahlo we have all come to know. It illustrates her life very well and gives us great pictures to see what the words say. The cover alone makes you want to pick up the book and read it. Jonah Winter is the author of this bookhe is an artist, author, and mucisian, and has not yet won any awards for his great book. I recommend this book to all Spanish bilingual teachers. This book is easy and full of great information for children of the ages 4-8. The book is in Spanish and has great, colorful, eye catching illustrations. The illustrations are well coordinated with the book so that we can see what maybe Kahlo looked like or what she went through. The information on Kahlo’s life is short and to the point. This a great book to incorporate on learning this artist biography in a school day. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008 Williams, Vera. “More, More, More,” said the Baby. New York: Harper Trophy, 1996. 40 pages.Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English This story is about a Little Pumpkin, Little guy, Little bird, they are children whom their caregivers are playing with them and they each show they want “More” of what the guardian is doing to them. Little Guy wants more kisses in his belly button, little Pumpkin wants more of grandma tasting his toes, and little bird wants MMMmmm more rest.This book was written by Vera Williams whom won a Caldecott award, and Horn book. This book is great for teachers to read in class because some students hold great bonds with their families that they will be able to relate to the book. The illustrations in this book are great because they show that multicultural families exist. It can help a child that might feel awkward to not have all members of their family the same ethnicity, feel more comfortable. The book shows a great sense of compassion for the parents and children, that its can teach children to be compassionate about their parents, and hopefully of one another. The teacher can include this book in their lesson of a autobiography of a child and have them show what they would like more of like the characters in the book Reviewed by: Alberta Torres May, 2008 Wiesner, David.TUESDAY. New York: Clarion Books, 1991. 28 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English This book is about frogs that float around in their lily pads, and go nearby the house and inside houses exploring the human life. They take charge and for a night wander out of their pond into humans living rooms, chasing after dogs, and birds and they even fly over houses. The book ends with the pigs getting ready for their time to wander. David Weisner has quite an imagination, which leads him to writing these wonderful books. He is a writer and a great illustrator, and this books shows it. He won a Caldecott award for this book. This book is a picture book and makes you use your imagination to put your own words into the story. This book is great for teacher to use in the classrooms, to have the children make up their own story as they go along. They can use this book to have children participate in class and have children anticipate what will happen in the story, or to use as an example and have the children make their own picture book. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres May, 2008
Henkes, Kevin.La Primera Luna De Gatita.New York:Greenwillow Books, 2004.30 pages.Ages 4-8. Genre:Picture Book.Language: Spanish This book is so adorable.The story is about a little kitten who sees the moon for the first time.As the cat sees the moon it thinks it is a big plate of milk in the sky.The kitten jumps and runs after the moon.It comes across a lagoon and sees the reflection of the moon.It jumps into the lagoon and ends up only getting wet. After the kitten tred everythign to get to the moon, it gives up and heads back home. W it comes to find that there is a big plate of milk waiting for it. Kevin loved to read and draw pictures since he was a young child. He became an author and illustrator at age 19. La primera lune de gatita won a Caldecott Award. I recommend this book to teachers because it is a great way to show children to always try your hardest at achieving something because at the end there is always a great reward.This book has strong black and white illustrations which makes it different than the normal book.It also catches children’s attention because it is different. The book is just cute in general because the illustrations make it very adorable. This books is great and ideal for younger children, its keeps u wanting to read more to find out if it will get the milk. Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008
Viorist, Judith.Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day.New YorkAladdin Paperbacks, 1972.30 pages.Ages 5-8.Genre:Picture Story Book.Language: English This book is about Alexander having a very bad day.The minute he wakes up he starts having a bad day.He goes through many things like being called names to not having his prize in his cereal box. Thorught out the book he refers that maybe if he went to a different country he would have a better life. But at the end he realizes that no matter where he goes he will have a very bad day there too. Judith focused in writhing books that children would be able to relate to. For example this book shows children that other people have bad days to. I recommend this book to all teachers to read in the classroom.This book shows a great way to children that everyone has bad days and it’s ok to have bad days.Children would be able to relate to this book because there are common things that happen to children. Teachers can set up a group and have children discuss this book and they can also have children share stories of when they had a bad day. so they cans ee that other children also have the bad days . Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008
Dorros,Arthur.Abuela. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1991. pages 34. Ages 4-9. Genre: Contemporary Fantasy. Language: English This books is about a girl named Rosalba who walks in the park of New York city with her grandma as starts to imagine that she flies all throughout New York City. In Rosalba’s imaginative thought she flies over the Statue of liberty and she even visits her family. As the story ends her and hergrandma board a boat for another fun filled imaginative thought. Arthur , he loves to write and has been writing children books for many years. Abuela has won the following awards; ALA Notable Book, and Parent's Choice Award. I love this book because it is one that can keep children’s attention. This book is great to get children’s to use their imagination. This book incorporates Spanish and English and it’s great because you can incorporate it into bilingual classes. I enjoyed reading Rosalba’s imaginative thoughts, it made me imagine where I would like to go if I could fly to. Reviewed by Alberta Torres May, 2008 Carle,Eric.The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. New York: Philomel Books, 1999. pages 26. Ages 3-8. Genre: Pictue Story Book. Language: English This book is about a click beetle,that is barely learning how to click and fly and land on his feet. He receives tips on how to do the perfect clicking and land on his feet from an older click. He tries ands tries through out the story he gets great encouragement from different animals. You can do it they tell him and he tries and tries. Until one day a human came by and that scared the beetle click ,click he went away and landed on his feet. Eric Carle is known for his many children books. He has won many awards for his many children books. I loved this book, I love how Eric Carle always incorporates insects into his books it makes them so interesting to think that they might go through these problems in real life. This book makes you think like an insect and respect them even more. They are like humans and have to be encouraged to achieve something. This book is great to use in the classroom because you can teach children to respect one another and to encourage their peers when they need it. This book is also great because as you flip the pages a Clicking noise is made and that makes it great for read outlouds. Reviewed by Alberta Torres May, 2008
Part Two 10-20 Cisneros, Sandra. House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.110 pages. Ages 9-? . Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction. Language: English
House on Mango St is a great book for young readers. This book focuses on a childs memories. Its takes us throughthe journey of Esperanzas memories of living on Mango street. She lets us know what she went through as a child, and what she learned from her friends and family. Throughout the whole story we hear how much she doesn’t like the house she lives in. Esperanza wishes she could live somewhere else. In the end of the story she goes from not loving her house on Mango Street to ironically writing most of her stories based on her House on Mango Street. Sandra Cisneros was born and raised in Chicago, she writes many books for young adults and she also writes books for children. House on Mango street has won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award in 1985, it is a text required to be read in middle school, high schools and universities. I recommend this book to all teachers that this books is read in the classroom. I believe this book is great to help students relate to how they might feel about the neighborhoods or the house they live in. This book is easy to relate to because Esperanzas thoughts are thoughts we have all thought about at one point in our lives. This book is easy to read and to comprehend. It is a great book for Spanish speakers to relate because it has Spanish comments that are commonly used among Latino families.I really enjoyed this book and feel that I was able to easily relate to some of the topics spoken about in the book. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June,2008
Soto,Gary. A Fire in My Hands. New York: Harcourt Inc, 2006. 74 pages. Ages 9-?. Genre: Poetry. Language: English
This book of poems is a collection of memories and experiences that Gary Soto has gone through in his life. The topics in his poems are topics that one can easily relate to. This books contains poems about boys liking girls to eating Mexican food. I am sure that more than one person can relate to a poem in this book. Gary Soto is commomly known for his children books, he has won many awards for his poetry and is known to write about the latino culture.
I really enjoy this booknot only because the poems in the book have to do with his memories or experiences but because on each page before the poem he explains what each poem means and what each poems relates to or is about . This makes it more interesting to know that he actually went through the thoughts in these poems. I always feel that children can relate to things even more if they know that it is a true story. I recommend this book to students who love to read poetry and even to those who do not care much for it im sure that this bookwill give you a different feeling on poems.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Winter,Jeanette. Diego. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1991. 34 pages. Ages 4-9. Genre: Non-fiction. Language: English & Spanish This book is a biography on Diego Rivera. It starts with the birth of Diego Rivera and tells us brief description about Diego’s life. It tells us about Diego’s Hobbies and how a famous painter became.This book is very interesting because the illustration in it is very similar to the paintings of Diego Rivera. Jeanette Winter was born in 1939 is an author and an illustrator. She has many awards for her many children books she has written.
I recommend this book to teachers because it is interesting to read to the children a biography of a very famous Mexican painter. The book is in Spanish and English and is easy to read and to comprehend. The books as great illustrations which are eye catching to younger children and even adults. This books is great to read out loud because it is easy to follow and comprehend. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June,2008
Munos,Isabel. Eric & Julieta. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2006. 22pages. Ages 4-7. Genre: Picture Story book. Language: English & Spanish This book is about Julieta first day in school. Eric her older brother is told by his parents to keep an eye out for Julieta while she is in school. He tells Julieta do not cry in school it will be ok. Throughout the story Eric worries that his sister might cry and end up embarrassing him. He sneaks out of his class to checkup on Julieta and see that she is make a face that looks like she is crying. He tries to get her attention to tell to not cry but instead he ends up falling through the door to her classroom where everyone can see him and he begins to cry. She then tell him Eric see sometimes its ok to cry in school. Isabel Munoz grew up in Argentina; she is a coordinator and editor for Editorial Estrada.
This book is great because it gives us the great example of what children might go through on their first day of school. Children tend to cry the first day in school and this book s great to read to the children the first day of class. Children will be able to relate to the story and see that other children feel the same way about going to school. The illustrations by Gustavo Mazali are great because they very big and colorful illustrations that will catch a childs attention. This book is also great because it is a bilingual book. The story is in Spanish and English and is great for students in a bilingual setting. This books is one of many Eric and Julieta stories that Isabel has written. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Gonzalez,Lucia. The Bossy Gallito.New York: Scholastic Inc, 1994. pages. Ages 4-10. Genre: Traditional Literature. Language: English & Spanish The Bossy Gallito is a folktale that has been passed down generations Lucia has captured this story and written about it. As a child she remembers how much her aunt would sit around and share great stories that were told to her when she was a child. She decided to wirte about The Bossy Gallito because it was her favorite. The story is about a Gallito that wants to go to his Tio Pericos wedding but comes across serious issues. He wants to eat but not get his beak dirty he asked the grass to clean he beak but the grass says no he then has others things to help him put they all say no. Finally he tells the sun to help him and he says yes. His problem is then solved and hes on his way to the wedding. Lucia Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba, The bossy Gallito has won a Pura Belpre Award Honor Book and was included on the Aesop Accolade list by the Children's Folklore Section in the American Folklore Society.
I recommend this book to teachers because they can present it to students and ask them to share a story they have heard and would like to share with their peers. It would be interesting to see how many stories are alike. This books is great to use in a bilingual setting because it is written in both English and Spanish. The story is easy to follow and comprehend. I believe its important to continue sharing our folktales with one another which is why I chose this book to share in an annotated bibliography. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Soto,Gary. The Old Man & His Doors. New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1996. pages24. Ages 4-10. Genre: Picture Story Book. Language: English This story is about an old man who has a hard time following directions from his wife. The story begins when the wife is going to her comadres for a BBQ and tell her husband who at the time is washing the dog, to not forget the Puerco. The husband says yes as he chases the dog whom ran away during his bath. Throughout the story he doesn’t listen and just chases the dog. After he catches the dog he finds that it is time to go to the BBQ. He grabs the Puerta because that is what he remembers his wife asking for. He carries the puerta all the way and along the way he helps people in his neighborhood and in return receives gifts they give him. He carries the door and the gifts on top of the door all on his back. In the end he arrives to the BBQ and is exhausted the wife ask where the Puerco is at and he says Puerta, Puerco? it all sounds the same! Gary soto incorporates his Latino cultures into most of his stories. He is an excellent writer and has won many awards for his books. I recommend this book to teachers, because I really enjoyed the story. It is a great story, full of laughter and suspense. The story is definitely an attention grabber for small children. This story is great to read in class because you can make a lesson plan from this book. You can have children write about times they forgot to do something, they were told to do. This book is great for bilingual students because it incorporates both Spanish and English language. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Taylor, Mildred D. MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1990. pages 62. Ages 9-13. Genre: Historical Fiction. Language: English This story is about Josiah and other black passengers who get kicked of a bus. AS the black people are already seated on the bus, the white people start arriving late, and force the black people of the bus. They do not give them an option if to get off the bus or not. They are forced to and forced to cancel their plans.As the bus is on its way the bridge collapses and the bus lands in the river, killing some. Josiah has a friend who’s name is Jeremy, Jeremy is white and through out the story he notices that black people are treated unfairly. Mildred was born in Mississippi and raised in Ohio. She has written other books such as Roll of thunder hear my cry, and she has won awards such as the Newbery Award This book is a great book to read it is very sad and keeps you in suspense throughout the whole book. I enjoyed reading this book because it was eye catching to read a story that talk about topics that did happen at one point in time. Its main concern is the racial discrimination that went on in Mississippi in the great depression time. It is a sad book but very great for students to read on what happened in the past, and what still happens now days in some states. I recommend this book to all teachers so that they teach children to have positive views on everyone no matter what they race or culture is. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Soto,Gary. Junior College. New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1996. pages 96. Ages 9-adult. Genre: poetry. Language: English This book consists of many poems written by Gary Soto. The topics range from Religions, History, Family, and life in general. This book has many aspects in cultures and many different views on the world and life. Gary Soto is known for writing about his Latino culture and about his life. We see that a lot in his poems that he writes. He has won so many awards for his poetry. I recommend this book for all teachers and even adults to read the poems. They carry humor and also serious looks on life. The book is great for ages 9 –adult because I believe that everyone can relate to at least one of the poems in the book. Gary Soto is great at catching the attention of more than one target culture which is great to use in a classroom setting. I believe that teaching poetry is a great way to teach children how to read and how to gain a love for reading. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Paulsen,Gary. Hatchet. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1987. pages 195. Ages 9-adult. Genre: Survival story. Language: English This story is about a boy named Brian. Brians parents have recently gone through a divorce and he is trying to learn to cope with it. On a trip to visit his father Brian was the only passenger on the plane. As he flew on the plane his pilot suffered a heart attack and Brian had to take charge and land the plane by himself. Brian learns to live in the wild forest. He has to hunt for food, find shelter and even make his own weapons .In the end Brian is rescued. Gary has written many young adult novel and many involve the wilderness. This book won a Newberry honor award. I loved this book, it was my first time reading it and it was very good. I recommend this book to all teachers in upper grade levels to have children read this book. It is definitely a great book that shows how to appreciate everything and everyone around you. This book is a great example of a survival story. I recommend this book to adults as well because it is full of suspense. This would be a great class book to read because it focuses on many issues that children go through now a days , with parents divorcing and the children holding in many thoughts and feelings Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008 Lee,Harper.To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1987. pages 195. Ages 9-adult. Genre: Survival story. Language: English This book takes place during the great depression. The main characters are Scout, Jem Scouts brother and Dill their summer friend. The children become interested in the house everyone as come to know as the Radley house, where Boo Radley lives. The children have come to be frightened of Boo because he hardly comes out of his house. They are convinced that Boo Radley comes out to leave presents in tree hole. Their adventure continues and many other racial issues happen in their neighborhood. In the end Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from being hurt by one of the men his father trialed in jury against. In the end Boo is covered by the sheriff and goes back into his house , leaving the children with no further curiosity toward him. Harper Lee graduated with a law degree, and then began writing young adult novels.To Kill a Mockingbird has won the Pulitzer Prize, and has been translated into more than forty languages This book was also voted the best novel of the twentieth century. Harper Lee To kill a mockingbird is a great book. I recommended it to all upper class students and to adults to read. This book is one of my all time favorites I enjoy reading this book over and over. Most schools do incorporate this book into their novel reading. I believe this book is great because it talks about the great depression, issues such as racial, and it shows a great amount of appreciation to all people and a lesson to not discriminate against anyone. Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2000. 38 pages. Ages 4-7. Genre: Picture story book. Language: English
The book Olivia is about a little pig that lives with her father, mother, her brother, dog and cat. The book is about the Olivia’s busy schedule, it shows us what Olivia likes to do. She likes to go to the beach play dress up, go to the museum, and even paint. Throughout the book Olivia get what she wants, and shows that she is very active. The story ends with the mother reading books to Olivia, and also showing that they both love each other very much. The authors name is Ian Falconer, he is a painter and illustrator, Olivia is his first childrens book, whom received a Caldecott honor award.
I liked this book because it is a funny book for children to read. This book shows how energetic children can be which, is a reason a child might relate to the book. I read this book with my niece and she seemed to enjoy the pictures, she would stop and look at the pictures and compare them to what she normally did. The character is very engaging, because it is funny to see a pig do the same things a human would do. The book is free from stereotyping; I believe that it opens a new way of thinking about pigs. I do recommend this book to all teachers that have preschool through second grade. The book will catch the children’s attention, because it is focused on one energetic pig.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008
Taback, Simmins. There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. New York: Penguin Group, 1997. 32 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English
The book There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, is exactly what the title states. The old lady swallows a fly, a spider, a bird, a cat, a dog, a cow, and a horse. Through out the story the old lady swallows a fly then swallows the spider to catch the fly, swallows the bird to catch the spider, swallows the cat to catch the bird, swallows the dog to catch the cat, swallows the cow to catch the dog, and finally swallows a horse to catch the cow. At the end of the story the old lady dies, and the moral of the story is to not swallow a horse. The authors name is Simms, Taback, who is known for his picture books, He taught illustration and design at the School for Visual Arts and Syracuse University Simms received a Caldecott honor award for this book.
I enjoyed this book because it opened my imagination to a great extent. I found this story very engaging because the illustrations in the book were very bright in color and being able to see the animals in the ladies stomach made it fun to flip to the next page of the story. The story is written with a rhyming sound to it, which makes it interesting to read aloud to children. I recommend it to all teacher in the grades preschool to 3rd . This story would be fun to have children join in the chorus of the story. This is a good book for bilingual educators because it is has great form of repetition for children whom are learning a second language.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008
Kimmel, Eric A. The runaway Tortilla. New York: Winslow Press, 2000. 29pages. Ages 6-10. Genre: Traditional literature. Language: English
This story follows a similar storyline as the gingerbread man. The story is about a tortilla that does not want to be eaten. Throughout the story the tortilla runs away from Tio Jose and Tia Lupe. As they chase the tortilla, others characters which are animals, join in the chase. At the end the smart tortilla gets convinced by Senor Coyote to enter his mouth, only for him to eat the tortilla. Eric A Kimmel wanted to write books ever since he was a young child. His book runaway tortilla has not won any awards but he has other books that have won awards such as the Caldecott award and Hershel award.
I recommend this book to other teachers; it is a great book to read in class. Teachers can have the class join in and sing along to tortillas famous saying “Run as fast as fast can be”. It is a great fairy tale that can be used among children whom can relate to this story better than the original gingerbread man story. With this book you can have the children act it out as a play and have the children dress up. The book is easy to read and the storyline is easy to follow. The illustrations are great and ones that children can relate to.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008
Winter, Jonah. Frida. New York: Scholastic inc, 2002. 29 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Non-fiction. Language: Spanish
This book is a biography of Frida Kahlo. The biography starts with Fridas birth, and continues until she is the Frida Kahlo we have all come to know. It illustrates her life very well and gives us great pictures to see what the words say. The cover alone makes you want to pick up the book and read it. Jonah Winter is the author of this book he is an artist, author, and mucisian, and has not yet won any awards for his great book.
I recommend this book to all Spanish bilingual teachers. This book is easy and full of great information for children of the ages 4-8. The book is in Spanish and has great, colorful, eye catching illustrations. The illustrations are well coordinated with the book so that we can see what maybe Kahlo looked like or what she went through. The information on Kahlo’s life is short and to the point. This a great book to incorporate on learning this artist biography in a school day.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008
Williams, Vera. “More, More, More,” said the Baby. New York: Harper Trophy, 1996. 40 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English
This story is about a Little Pumpkin, Little guy, Little bird, they are children whom their caregivers are playing with them and they each show they want “More” of what the guardian is doing to them. Little Guy wants more kisses in his belly button, little Pumpkin wants more of grandma tasting his toes, and little bird wants MMMmmm more rest.This book was written by Vera Williams whom won a Caldecott award, and Horn book.
This book is great for teachers to read in class because some students hold great bonds with their families that they will be able to relate to the book. The illustrations in this book are great because they show that multicultural families exist. It can help a child that might feel awkward to not have all members of their family the same ethnicity, feel more comfortable. The book shows a great sense of compassion for the parents and children, that its can teach children to be compassionate about their parents, and hopefully of one another. The teacher can include this book in their lesson of a autobiography of a child and have them show what they would like more of like the characters in the book
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres May, 2008
Wiesner, David.TUESDAY. New York: Clarion Books, 1991. 28 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture book. Language: English
This book is about frogs that float around in their lily pads, and go nearby the house and inside houses exploring the human life. They take charge and for a night wander out of their pond into humans living rooms, chasing after dogs, and birds and they even fly over houses. The book ends with the pigs getting ready for their time to wander. David Weisner has quite an imagination, which leads him to writing these wonderful books. He is a writer and a great illustrator, and this books shows it. He won a Caldecott award for this book.
This book is a picture book and makes you use your imagination to put your own words into the story. This book is great for teacher to use in the classrooms, to have the children make up their own story as they go along. They can use this book to have children participate in class and have children anticipate what will happen in the story, or to use as an example and have the children make their own picture book.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres May, 2008
Henkes, Kevin. La Primera Luna De Gatita. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2004. 30 pages. Ages 4-8. Genre: Picture Book. Language: Spanish
This book is so adorable. The story is about a little kitten who sees the moon for the first time. As the cat sees the moon it thinks it is a big plate of milk in the sky. The kitten jumps and runs after the moon. It comes across a lagoon and sees the reflection of the moon. It jumps into the lagoon and ends up only getting wet. After the kitten tred everythign to get to the moon, it gives up and heads back home. W it comes to find that there is a big plate of milk waiting for it. Kevin loved to read and draw pictures since he was a young child. He became an author and illustrator at age 19. La primera lune de gatita won a Caldecott Award.
I recommend this book to teachers because it is a great way to show children to always try your hardest at achieving something because at the end there is always a great reward. This book has strong black and white illustrations which makes it different than the normal book. It also catches children’s attention because it is different. The book is just cute in general because the illustrations make it very adorable. This books is great and ideal for younger children, its keeps u wanting to read more to find out if it will get the milk.
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May, 2008
Viorist, Judith. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very Bad Day. New York Aladdin Paperbacks, 1972. 30 pages. Ages 5-8. Genre: Picture Story Book. Language: English
This book is about Alexander having a very bad day. The minute he wakes up he starts having a bad day. He goes through many things like being called names to not having his prize in his cereal box. Thorught out the book he refers that maybe if he went to a different country he would have a better life. But at the end he realizes that no matter where he goes he will have a very bad day there too. Judith focused in writhing books that children would be able to relate to. For example this book shows children that other people have bad days to.
I recommend this book to all teachers to read in the classroom. This book shows a great way to children that everyone has bad days and it’s ok to have bad days. Children would be able to relate to this book because there are common things that happen to children. Teachers can set up a group and have children discuss this book and they can also have children share stories of when they had a bad day. so they cans ee that other children also have the bad days .
Reviewed by: Alberta Torres, May 2008
Dorros,Arthur.Abuela. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 1991. pages 34. Ages 4-9. Genre: Contemporary Fantasy. Language: English
This books is about a girl named Rosalba who walks in the park of New York city with her grandma as starts to imagine that she flies all throughout New York City. In Rosalba’s imaginative thought she flies over the Statue of liberty and she even visits her family. As the story ends her and her grandma board a boat for another fun filled imaginative thought. Arthur , he loves to write and has been writing children books for many years. Abuela has won the following awards; ALA Notable Book, and Parent's Choice Award.
I love this book because it is one that can keep children’s attention. This book is great to get children’s to use their imagination. This book incorporates Spanish and English and it’s great because you can incorporate it into bilingual classes. I enjoyed reading Rosalba’s imaginative thoughts, it made me imagine where I would like to go if I could fly to.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres May, 2008
Carle,Eric.The Very Clumsy Click Beetle. New York: Philomel Books, 1999. pages 26. Ages 3-8. Genre: Pictue Story Book. Language: English
This book is about a click beetle,that is barely learning how to click and fly and land on his feet. He receives tips on how to do the perfect clicking and land on his feet from an older click. He tries ands tries through out the story he gets great encouragement from different animals. You can do it they tell him and he tries and tries. Until one day a human came by and that scared the beetle click ,click he went away and landed on his feet. Eric Carle is known for his many children books. He has won many awards for his many children books.
I loved this book, I love how Eric Carle always incorporates insects into his books it makes them so interesting to think that they might go through these problems in real life. This book makes you think like an insect and respect them even more. They are like humans and have to be encouraged to achieve something. This book is great to use in the classroom because you can teach children to respect one another and to encourage their peers when they need it. This book is also great because as you flip the pages a Clicking noise is made and that makes it great for read outlouds.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres May, 2008
Part Two 10-20
Cisneros, Sandra. House on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books, 1984.110 pages. Ages 9-? . Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction. Language: English
House on Mango St is a great book for young readers. This book focuses on a childs memories. Its takes us through the journey of Esperanzas memories of living on Mango street. She lets us know what she went through as a child, and what she learned from her friends and family. Throughout the whole story we hear how much she doesn’t like the house she lives in. Esperanza wishes she could live somewhere else. In the end of the story she goes from not loving her house on Mango Street to ironically writing most of her stories based on her House on Mango Street. Sandra Cisneros was born and raised in Chicago, she writes many books for young adults and she also writes books for children. House on Mango street has won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award in 1985, it is a text required to be read in middle school, high schools and universities.
I recommend this book to all teachers that this books is read in the classroom. I believe this book is great to help students relate to how they might feel about the neighborhoods or the house they live in. This book is easy to relate to because Esperanzas thoughts are thoughts we have all thought about at one point in our lives. This book is easy to read and to comprehend. It is a great book for Spanish speakers to relate because it has Spanish comments that are commonly used among Latino families. I really enjoyed this book and feel that I was able to easily relate to some of the topics spoken about in the book.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June,2008
Soto,Gary. A Fire in My Hands. New York: Harcourt Inc, 2006. 74 pages. Ages 9-?. Genre: Poetry. Language: English
This book of poems is a collection of memories and experiences that Gary Soto has gone through in his life. The topics in his poems are topics that one can easily relate to. This books contains poems about boys liking girls to eating Mexican food. I am sure that more than one person can relate to a poem in this book. Gary Soto is commomly known for his children books, he has won many awards for his poetry and is known to write about the latino culture.
I really enjoy this book not only because the poems in the book have to do with his memories or experiences but because on each page before the poem he explains what each poem means and what each poems relates to or is about . This makes it more interesting to know that he actually went through the thoughts in these poems. I always feel that children can relate to things even more if they know that it is a true story. I recommend this book to students who love to read poetry and even to those who do not care much for it im sure that this book will give you a different feeling on poems.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Winter,Jeanette. Diego. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1991. 34 pages. Ages 4-9. Genre: Non-fiction. Language: English & Spanish
This book is a biography on Diego Rivera. It starts with the birth of Diego Rivera and tells us brief description about Diego’s life. It tells us about Diego’s Hobbies and how a famous painter became. This book is very interesting because the illustration in it is very similar to the paintings of Diego Rivera. Jeanette Winter was born in 1939 is an author and an illustrator. She has many awards for her many children books she has written.
I recommend this book to teachers because it is interesting to read to the children a biography of a very famous Mexican painter. The book is in Spanish and English and is easy to read and to comprehend. The books as great illustrations which are eye catching to younger children and even adults. This books is great to read out loud because it is easy to follow and comprehend.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June,2008
Munos,Isabel. Eric & Julieta. New York: Scholastic Inc, 2006. 22pages. Ages 4-7. Genre: Picture Story book. Language: English & Spanish
This book is about Julieta first day in school. Eric her older brother is told by his parents to keep an eye out for Julieta while she is in school. He tells Julieta do not cry in school it will be ok. Throughout the story Eric worries that his sister might cry and end up embarrassing him. He sneaks out of his class to checkup on Julieta and see that she is make a face that looks like she is crying. He tries to get her attention to tell to not cry but instead he ends up falling through the door to her classroom where everyone can see him and he begins to cry. She then tell him Eric see sometimes its ok to cry in school. Isabel Munoz grew up in Argentina; she is a coordinator and editor for Editorial Estrada.
This book is great because it gives us the great example of what children might go through on their first day of school. Children tend to cry the first day in school and this book s great to read to the children the first day of class. Children will be able to relate to the story and see that other children feel the same way about going to school. The illustrations by Gustavo Mazali are great because they very big and colorful illustrations that will catch a childs attention. This book is also great because it is a bilingual book. The story is in Spanish and English and is great for students in a bilingual setting. This books is one of many Eric and Julieta stories that Isabel has written.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Gonzalez,Lucia. The Bossy Gallito. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1994. pages. Ages 4-10. Genre: Traditional Literature. Language: English & Spanish
The Bossy Gallito is a folktale that has been passed down generations Lucia has captured this story and written about it. As a child she remembers how much her aunt would sit around and share great stories that were told to her when she was a child. She decided to wirte about The Bossy Gallito because it was her favorite. The story is about a Gallito that wants to go to his Tio Pericos wedding but comes across serious issues. He wants to eat but not get his beak dirty he asked the grass to clean he beak but the grass says no he then has others things to help him put they all say no. Finally he tells the sun to help him and he says yes. His problem is then solved and hes on his way to the wedding. Lucia Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba, The bossy Gallito has won a Pura Belpre Award Honor Book and was included on the Aesop Accolade list by the Children's Folklore Section in the American Folklore Society.
I recommend this book to teachers because they can present it to students and ask them to share a story they have heard and would like to share with their peers. It would be interesting to see how many stories are alike. This books is great to use in a bilingual setting because it is written in both English and Spanish. The story is easy to follow and comprehend. I believe its important to continue sharing our folktales with one another which is why I chose this book to share in an annotated bibliography.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Soto,Gary. The Old Man & His Doors. New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1996. pages24. Ages 4-10. Genre: Picture Story Book. Language: English
This story is about an old man who has a hard time following directions from his wife. The story begins when the wife is going to her comadres for a BBQ and tell her husband who at the time is washing the dog, to not forget the Puerco. The husband says yes as he chases the dog whom ran away during his bath. Throughout the story he doesn’t listen and just chases the dog. After he catches the dog he finds that it is time to go to the BBQ. He grabs the Puerta because that is what he remembers his wife asking for. He carries the puerta all the way and along the way he helps people in his neighborhood and in return receives gifts they give him. He carries the door and the gifts on top of the door all on his back. In the end he arrives to the BBQ and is exhausted the wife ask where the Puerco is at and he says Puerta, Puerco? it all sounds the same! Gary soto incorporates his Latino cultures into most of his stories. He is an excellent writer and has won many awards for his books.
I recommend this book to teachers, because I really enjoyed the story. It is a great story, full of laughter and suspense. The story is definitely an attention grabber for small children. This story is great to read in class because you can make a lesson plan from this book. You can have children write about times they forgot to do something, they were told to do. This book is great for bilingual students because it incorporates both Spanish and English language.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Taylor, Mildred D. MISSISSIPPI BRIDGE. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1990. pages 62. Ages 9-13. Genre: Historical Fiction. Language: English
This story is about Josiah and other black passengers who get kicked of a bus. AS the black people are already seated on the bus, the white people start arriving late, and force the black people of the bus. They do not give them an option if to get off the bus or not. They are forced to and forced to cancel their plans.As the bus is on its way the bridge collapses and the bus lands in the river, killing some. Josiah has a friend who’s name is Jeremy, Jeremy is white and through out the story he notices that black people are treated unfairly. Mildred was born in Mississippi and raised in Ohio. She has written other books such as Roll of thunder hear my cry, and she has won awards such as the Newbery Award
This book is a great book to read it is very sad and keeps you in suspense throughout the whole book. I enjoyed reading this book because it was eye catching to read a story that talk about topics that did happen at one point in time. Its main concern is the racial discrimination that went on in Mississippi in the great depression time. It is a sad book but very great for students to read on what happened in the past, and what still happens now days in some states. I recommend this book to all teachers so that they teach children to have positive views on everyone no matter what they race or culture is.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Soto,Gary. Junior College. New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1996. pages 96. Ages 9-adult. Genre: poetry. Language: English
This book consists of many poems written by Gary Soto. The topics range from Religions, History, Family, and life in general. This book has many aspects in cultures and many different views on the world and life. Gary Soto is known for writing about his Latino culture and about his life. We see that a lot in his poems that he writes. He has won so many awards for his poetry.
I recommend this book for all teachers and even adults to read the poems. They carry humor and also serious looks on life. The book is great for ages 9 –adult because I believe that everyone can relate to at least one of the poems in the book. Gary Soto is great at catching the attention of more than one target culture which is great to use in a classroom setting. I believe that teaching poetry is a great way to teach children how to read and how to gain a love for reading.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Paulsen,Gary. Hatchet. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1987. pages 195. Ages 9-adult. Genre: Survival story. Language: English
This story is about a boy named Brian. Brians parents have recently gone through a divorce and he is trying to learn to cope with it. On a trip to visit his father Brian was the only passenger on the plane. As he flew on the plane his pilot suffered a heart attack and Brian had to take charge and land the plane by himself. Brian learns to live in the wild forest. He has to hunt for food, find shelter and even make his own weapons .In the end Brian is rescued. Gary has written many young adult novel and many involve the wilderness. This book won a Newberry honor award.
I loved this book, it was my first time reading it and it was very good. I recommend this book to all teachers in upper grade levels to have children read this book. It is definitely a great book that shows how to appreciate everything and everyone around you. This book is a great example of a survival story. I recommend this book to adults as well because it is full of suspense. This would be a great class book to read because it focuses on many issues that children go through now a days , with parents divorcing and the children holding in many thoughts and feelings
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008
Lee,Harper.To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1987. pages 195. Ages 9-adult. Genre: Survival story. Language: English
This book takes place during the great depression. The main characters are Scout, Jem Scouts brother and Dill their summer friend. The children become interested in the house everyone as come to know as the Radley house, where Boo Radley lives. The children have come to be frightened of Boo because he hardly comes out of his house. They are convinced that Boo Radley comes out to leave presents in tree hole. Their adventure continues and many other racial issues happen in their neighborhood. In the end Boo Radley saves Scout and Jem from being hurt by one of the men his father trialed in jury against. In the end Boo is covered by the sheriff and goes back into his house , leaving the children with no further curiosity toward him. Harper Lee graduated with a law degree, and then began writing young adult novels.To Kill a Mockingbird has won the Pulitzer Prize, and has been translated into more than forty languages This book was also voted the best novel of the twentieth century. Harper Lee
To kill a mockingbird is a great book. I recommended it to all upper class students and to adults to read. This book is one of my all time favorites I enjoy reading this book over and over. Most schools do incorporate this book into their novel reading. I believe this book is great because it talks about the great depression, issues such as racial, and it shows a great amount of appreciation to all people and a lesson to not discriminate against anyone.
Reviewed by Alberta Torres June, 2008